United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Anecdotes
"I'll take those guns just for that," was all he said and, followed by
his officers, he dashed up the Ridge after the climbing,
attacking-party. The way was so steep that the men had to climb up on
their hands and knees while the solid shot and shell tore great furrows
in their ranks. Sheridan was off his horse as soon as the slope became
steep, and, although he had started after the charge, was soon at the
front of the men. They recognized him with a tremendous cheer.
"I'm not much used to this charging on foot, boys," he said, "but I'll
do the best I can," and he set a pace which soon brought his men so far
up that the guns above could not be depressed enough to hit them.
Behind him came the whole storming party clambering up on their hands
and knees with their regimental flags flying everywhere, sometimes
dropping as the bearers were shot, but never reaching the ground
because they would be caught up again and again by others. At last they
were so near that the Confederate artillerymen, in order to save time,
lighted the fuses of their shells and bowled them down by hand against
the storming party. Just before they reached the summit, Sheridan
formed them into a battle-line and then with a tremendous cheer, they
dashed forward and attacked the Ridge at six different points. The
Confederates had watched their approach with amazement and amusement.
When they found, however, that nothing seemed to stop them, they were
seized with a panic and as the six desperate storming parties dashed
upon them from different angles, after a few minutes' fast fighting,
they broke and retreated in a hopeless rout down the other side of the
Ridge. Sheridan stopped long enough to claim Lady Breckenridge and Lady
Buckner as his personal spoils of war and forming his men again, led
them on to a splendid victory.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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